By Tim Binnall
An Australian teenager is in trouble with the law after allegedly damaging a piece of public artwork by attaching a set of googly eyes to the sculpture's face. According to a local media report, the curious case began back in September when the City of Mount Gambier took to social media to lament that someone had made an unwanted alteration to their 'Cast in Blue' statue unveiled earlier in the summer. Specifically, the troublemaker had affixed a set of googly eyes (seen below) on the piece meant to depict a mythical ancient creature said to roam the region.
"This wilful damage to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin declared at the time, "it is not harmless fun, it is costly." To that end, when the googly eyes were removed from the piece, it was found that their adhesive had stripped away some of the artwork's colorful coating (seen above), requiring it to be repaired at a cost of around $2,500. Cops eventually arrested 19-year-old Amelia Vanderhorst, who was charged with vandalizing the statue that has received mixed reviews among residents due to its unusual appearance.